Flavio Bolsonaro Arrives in Miami and Calls Himself Brazil's 'Leader' After Election Loss

Brazilian right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro landed in Miami with his family on Wednesday and described himself as the rightful leader of Brazil, days after losing the presidential election to incumbent Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva.

Bolsonaro left Brazil after the country's Supreme Court asked him to surrender his passports to prevent him from leaving. The senator has not conceded defeat in Sunday's vote and has alleged irregularities. His own party has acknowledged the results, and international observers have said the election was fair.

In an open letter first posted to X, Bolsonaro called himself the "elected president." He deleted that version and published a revised letter in which he said he was Brazil's rightful "leader." In it he addressed what he called his 60 million voters and the wider Brazilian public. "I am the leader and the criminals who stole Brazil's election are part of a criminal organization that has established a tyranny," he wrote.

Bolsonaro is the subject of criminal investigations before the Supreme Court over alleged financial crimes. He has portrayed the cases as a political witch hunt against his family led by left-leaning justices. His immunity from prosecution will end in February, when his Senate term expires.

The journey drew attention across the region. Bolsonaro, his wife and their two daughters were seen stepping off a Gulfstream G400 and entering the Miami-Opa Locka airport on Wednesday morning. They had flown into Argentina late on Tuesday, then taken a private jet to Guayaquil in Ecuador before continuing to Florida.

Only on Monday, Bolsonaro had said in an Instagram post that he had no intention of leaving the country. He said he would "hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty, which is a clear attempt to intimidate me." According to the AFP news agency, he also holds Italian citizenship, which allowed him to travel even though his Brazilian and diplomatic passports had been canceled.

The US State Department has said it will grant visas to Bolsonaro and his family. Asked about his comments by reporters at Joint Base Andrews, US President Donald Trump declined to respond directly, repeating his earlier view that it was "a very strange election."

The move could deepen tensions between the two most populous countries in the Americas. Bolsonaro's father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, also went to Florida after Brazil's previous presidential election. During the campaign, Lula accused the Trump administration of colluding with the Bolsonaro family to help them return to power.

After the results came in, Trump appeared to question the integrity of the vote, calling the extension of voting times a "very bad look." He has also previously alleged that Jair Bolsonaro was a victim of judicial persecution in Brazil. The elder Bolsonaro is now in jail in Brazil on charges of leading a conspiracy to keep himself in power despite his defeat in the 2022 presidential election.